subject: Galvanized Buckets: The New Decorating Darling [print this page] If and when you will take a look at the newer decorating magazines and e-zines, you're bound to find a picture of galvanized buckets somewhere. It seems that decorators have "discovered" how pretty these utilitarian little things can be. One beautifully arranged picture showed a set of rusty galvanized buckets filled with delicate arrangements of orchids, jasmine, and wild grasses. It was like putting a little bit of wild nature into the home.
It's most obvious use is as a container, of course. However, it's a terrific way to bring in a little contrasting feel to your dining room table if it's filled with white rocks, topped with dark green moss, and finished off with a few flowers. That's a very unique way to bring the outdoors inside.
Picture for example, a little boy handing his mother a bouquet of wildflowers that he'd just picked. Having that in a crystal vase is nice, of course, but predictable. However, if the mother had used what was around her and put the flowers in a small bucket and set that in the middle of the kitchen table, it would say more about the family than any crystal vase could.
At one casual outdoor birthday party, an enormous galvanized bucket, more like a washtub really, was put to great use when it was filled with ice and stashed with a mix of beer and soda. That said it all... no fuss, no mess, just pure fun.
Another party made use of bucket sets to hold everything from the silverware, another for the cloth napkins, another for slim, crispy baguettes and it was really beautifully done. We don't need to hide these practical pieces away anymore. They actually add a little more life and beauty to our everyday living.
